Past and present pains
by zombiekillingtigeress
Summary: Three times Dick thought about a dead Jason and three times he met the newly resurrected Jason.


Past and present pains.

REMINISCENT.

His brother was dead, gone. Killed, murdered by Joker. He couldn't help but blame Bruce. He didn't mean to, it was just one of those dark thoughts in the back of his mind. He could kill Joker, there's another. He could strangle the clown, until the air left his lungs and the laughter stopped, or he could burn him and listen as laugh slowly died to scream's. There were so many options, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't say it was because of moral issue's and he didn't want to sink to their level, it was because Bruce had just lost one son he didn't deserve to loose another.

It rained in Gotham, fitting considering what had been lost. He had received the call about Jason while he was with the Titans, he had rode straight to the gloomy city, not believing what he was told. He had expected to see Jason, his brother, clumsily running down the stairs welcoming Dick home. Home. He hadn't started calling Wayne manor home again until Jason was around, and now he was gone.

He should of been nicer, in the beginning. At first he shunned Jason. He didn't not like the kid but he was angry. Angry at Bruce, for replacing him. For casting him aside. It wasn't Jason's fault, he shouldn't of taken it out on the kid. He talked to Dick about it once, a conversation long since passed. Apologized for replacing Dick. He had explained. Explained that it wasn't the being replaced that bothered him, he could handle that, it was the fact he gave away the name, his name. Then he explained about his parents and the significance of the name Robin. Jason had listened and then cautiously asked if that meant Dick didn't hate him. Dick couldn't answer, so he hugged him, he was horrified that was the way he made Jason feel. He thinks back on it, at missed opportunities.

REUNION

His first meeting with the resurrected Jason, Red Hood that's what he was calling himself, had been in an alley in Bludhaven. He had been fighting the average hired thugs and, embarrassingly, losing. He hadn't notice one pulling out a gun until he heard a loud bang, like thunder, and the man had fallen forward. Dead. The others had ran. "You're getting sloppy there, big bird" He remembered the familiar cockiness of the voice. He had to reply with something cocky back, on principle. "Glad to see you still care" he remembers watching Jason at the mouth of the alley, missing the helmet but still wearing a domino eye mask. "Well if you die who else can I harass? The replacement?" he was still the same, just jagged around the edges.

Their second meeting had been on one of the taller building's in Bludhaven. Both of them on the edge, watching busy streets below. He was unmasked that time. They had both sat there in comfortable silence. When Dick had felt familiar green eye's staring at him. He had turned to Jason. "I can understand Bruce, but why didn't you pit an end to the clown?" it had been a question he was expecting, but it was one he found hard to answer. "I thought about it" he had started hesitantly. "I thought of different ways to do it to, I could've burnt him and listened as laughs turned to screams" he had taken on a tone of confession. He could feel Jason watching him, revealing no emotion. "I won't lie and say I didn't because of a moral dilemma" Jason still watched, like a hawke. "It was because Bruce had already lost one son, losing another would've killed him" They had reverted back to silence but it wasn't comfortable, it was awkward. He had left not long after.

Their third meeting, not much of a meeting, had occurred not long after Bludhaven's destruction. He had been drunk, in costume. Bludhaven may have been Gotham's sister city, but thugs there were a lot more gentle for sure. He had been attacked by some of penguins men. His reflexes had been sluggish and he was unable to dodge the knife. He was easily pinned to the ground, blood pooling beneath. One of them pulled out a gun, a luger, and in his drunken state all he could how ironic and sad this would be for Bruce. A bang had rung out, unexpectedly he was alive and when he opened his eyes there was a familiar scene of a thug falling backwards dead. His friends soon departed. "I'm getting a sense of déjà vu" he could barely hear Jason. A numbness spread through his side and black spots covered his vision. He blacked out, Jason yelling his name.

He had awoken in the bat cave, side stitched. When asked Alfred told him about how a frantic Jason stormed in, Nightwing unconscious in his arms. He had left as soon as Dick was safe. Alfred said it was probably because he wanted to avoid Bruce.

"It seems, master Dick, that whilst it was Jason who brought you home all years ago it will be you who brings him home now"


End file.
